Lies, Betrayal, and False Redemption
by MGAgurl
Summary: Ginny Weasley. Courageous, good with a wand, loyal, and trusting. Someone is abusing Ginny's trusting quality and leading her onto a path to greatness. Terrible, but great. ActionAdventure, some RomanceMystery, touch of SuspenseAngst.
1. Impossible Nightmare

Disclaimer: All characters, settings and past events in this story that are from the Harry Potter series is not owned by me.

**A/N: This is a very short chapter, I know. For those of you who have read what I have so far on my other story (Harry Potter &the Daughter of Voldemort's Favorite) this story is nothing like that. It's not in only Harry's view. No recaps! Yay! But you'll have to have read OotP to not be confused because this story is like a sequel (Harry about to start sixth year). It will be more straight to the point than my other story, too. Hope you like it! If there's something that you don't, constructive criticize me, I'll be thankful**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**IMPOSSIBLE NIGHTMARE**

"He's here, He's here! Ginny, Harry's here!" Ginny groaned and rolled over in bed. _Ugh, Hermione left me to oversleep again_, she thought. _Wait a minute. . . did she say Harry's here? _Without a second thought she leapt out of bed, put on her slippers and pelted out of the room. She frantically ran her fingers through her hair, while running down the stairs. Ginny heard a jumble of voices greeting Harry at the door. Then she heard Hermione, who was appropriately dressed unlike herself, as she was nearing the foot of the flight of stairs.

"Great to see you again, Harry. I told you it would be soon! How was -"

"EEEEK!" Ginny slipped over the hems of her pajamas and was falling into a sure face flat embarrassment when Harry caught her.

"You should be more careful," he said. She then gave him a big hug.

"You're here! You're here! That was quick," said Ginny before releasing him. It was only three days into the summer. Harry looked around gloomily, which made Ginny feel sorry for him. There was absolutely no way that number twelve, Grimmauld Place was as gloomy as before. It was actually quite enlightening now that it was clean, but Ginny knew that Harry wasn't that enthusiastic over it because of the memories it brought him, which was a very accurate assumption.

"Hey!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly, "I know what can cheer you up!" She beamed at him and he returned with a weak smile. "Ron is still snoring away. Let's do something to him." An evil smirk crept onto Ginny and Harry's face. Hermione, however, wasn't pleased. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave them a stern look.

"What?" Ginny asked out of turn, "You know you want Ron pranked. I hear you two bicker on and on everyday."

"Honestly, Ginny, your becoming more and more like Fred and George with every passing day," said Hermione while closing her eyes and shaking her head in disapproval. By the time she looked up, Harry and Ginny were galloping up the stairs heading towards Ron's room. Hermione sighed and went after them.

"No problem, I got your trunk!" Tonks called up to Harry as she made the trunk levitate with a flick of her wand, "You kids have fun now!"

Upon sneaking into Ron's room, Harry and Ginny were brainstorming on what they could do to ruin whatever it was that he was dreaming of. . .

-

"You!" Ron snarled at Draco Malfoy, who was standing in front of him, a brand on his left forearm and a malicious smirk on his face. "What have you done with my sister, and - and Hermione? _Answer me, Malfoy!_" The evil Slitherin merely laughed. Such a cold laugh that it sent shivers down Ron's spine. He could feel cold sweat all over his body.

"Don't worry,Weasley, I'm taking care of the young Weaslette. We're the same kind. She was smart enough to choose the right side. Even if you're one of us as well, you won't be spared. As for the _mudblood._ . ." He smiled so forebodingly, "We put her down." He laughed again.

"You what? No. . . You didn't," Ron felt tears in his eyes. He should have been there. He should have been there to stop them from leaving.

"It was pathetic," Malfoy said with a laugh, "You should have seen how her Bulgarian boyfriend tried to rescue her. He failed miserably though, now they're both dead. All thanks to the youngest Death Eater of all. The Dark Lord is very proud of how well _Ginevra Weasley_ came through with our plans."

-

"DAMN YOU!" Ron bellowed as he jolted awake just to find his two best friend and one and only sister staring back at him. He scrambled off the other side of his bed in surprise. His pajamas were sticking to his body with sweat."Bloody hell! Are you three trying to give me a heart attack!"

"Er - sorry Ron," Harry mumbled, slightly disappointed.

"Are you. . . crying?" asked Ginny, seeing tears in Ron's eyes.

"You must have been having a terrible nightmare." Hermione said in a sympathetic tone as Ron hastily wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He was angry with them. Ginny was probably about to wake him up with a fresh joke again. He looked at his sister as she smiled at him innocently. He sighed, pushing back his anger, and smiled back at her, knowing that however evil her little pranks were, it was simply impossible for her to even consider betraying her friends and family.


	2. Worries

Disclaimer: All characters, settings and past events in this story that are from the Harry Potter series is not owned by me.

**A/N:** This chapter is concentrated more on Ron, which most stories I've read never do. Probably because I read mostly HG/DM romance fics. Anyways, here it is, hope you enjoy it! (This is Harry, Ron, and Hermione's 6th year and Ginny's 5th.) Constructive criticize as you please.

**CHAPTER TWO**

**WORRIES**

"Uh, you okay Ron?" Ginny asked, as her brother's staring was making her feel uncomfortable.

"Yea, I'm okay. Just had a nightmare," he mumbled.

"That reminds me," said Harry, "I'm not having any dreams anymore. You know, the ones involving Voldemort." No one in the room stirred at the name except for Ron. He was getting used to hearing it, being as he was practically living at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, but the name just reminded him of his recent nightmare. He knew it was just a dream, and it felt like just a dream, but the memory was horrifying. _It would never happen,_ he reminded himself. Remembering how Malfoy said Krum tried to rescue Hermione made him feel sick.

"Hello?"

"Wha?"

"Your blanking out again," Ginny said irritably. Hermione walked around the bed and next to Ron.

"I'm fine," Ron responded, looking down at the bed in front of him. "Really, it's nothing." He wasn't going to worry over some stupid dream, and he wasn't going to let his friends worry about him. Harry noticed how much Ron was acting like him when he didn't want them to worry about something that could lead to danger.

"Are you going to be okay?" Hermione said, looking at the side of his flushed face. She was worried about him. _It's not like Ron to be so quiet and. . . serious looking._

"I just said I'm fine, Hermione-"

"Tell us what you dreamt," interrupted Harry. "You're acting strange, Ron. Maybe it was another one of Voldemort's tricks. He could be-"

"_He's not!_" Ron yelled, "I told you! I'm fine. It was _just _a dream. It didn't feel like a vision, it didn't feel real. It _wasn't_ real. Besides, You-Know-Who can only do that with you. Can we just drop this!" He couldn't even believe how this conversation was even possible.

"Oh, we believe you, Ron. You sound perfectly fine, and you're acting just like yourself by yelling," Ginny said sarcastically.

"If it was just a dream, then just tell us what it was," Hermione insisted, "I just want to know what's bothering you," she added quickly. She didn't want him to think she was obsessed with wanting to know. Ron's nose flared with frustration.

"Fine! If all want to know so bad! I dreamt that Malfoy was a Death Eater and he was telling me they killed Hermione!" He shouted and glared at Hermione. "And Krum died trying to rescue you. There are you happy now?" He finished through gritted teeth, conveniently leaving out the part about Ginny. Before anyone could respond, Ron stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Hermione sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands. She felt guilty for pushing Ron so much that he got as angry as he did. Harry remained silent. Ginny, on the other hand, burst out into laughter.

"How could you be so giddy in a situation like this?" Hermione asked sternly.

"Why not?" Ginny said with glee, "You always make him feel that way after you're through arguing. And you know how extra depressed he feels when the names Hermione and Krum come up in the same conversation."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" Ginny laughed, turning to Harry, "She still doesn't get it." Hermione threw them a quizzical look. Harry knew what Ginny was thinking. Ron's jealous acts were quite obvious. Harry couldn't believe that as smart as Hermione was, she never noticed.

"I don't have time for this nonsense," muttered Hermione, "I'm going downstairs for breakfast." She left the room. Harry looked up at Ginny, who shrugged, and they followed.

Ron sat at the basement kitchen table and stared at the plate of breakfast his mother made for him. He took a deep breath and sighed. He shouldn't have lost his temper over such a silly matter. He couldn't help himself from being stressed lately, ever since he eavesdropped on a secret Order meeting.

He thought back to when he got up from bed in the middle of the first night he was staying at Grimmauld Place to get a drink. When he reached the door to the basement kitchen, he heard Lupin talking and stopped dead in his tracks to listen.

"- but I believe we should retrieve Harry as soon as possible. He owns Grimmauld Place now and it's his choice if he wants to live here or not. I think we all know what Harry will want."

"I understand your point Remus, but we must wait until the coast is clear. Harry is most safe at his aunt's house and he is just as safe here as well, but to transfer him would need much security. Our members are busy guarding Azkaban as many dementors decided to leave." Ron was sure that that calm voice belonged to Dumbledore.

"I hate having Gryffindor children running around our headquarters," said a cold voice. It was surely Snape talking, "And they are the ones I dislike most."

"Severus!" screeched a stern voice. Proffesor McGonagall. "You criticize and punish my students unfairly while you give special treatment to yours and I never protest. That should be enough revenge you can get for them being over and you saving their lives once more, as I know how much you hate doing that. I cannot believe how evil the Dark Lord is. To plan on using Harry's love for his friends to his advantage is unforgivable. I'm sorry Molly," she said as Ron heard sobs of his mother.

"It's okay Minerva. I'm just glad Hermione, Ron, and Ginny are safe now. I still can't stop worrying for their lives!"

"This is all the Potter boy's fault," sneered Snape, "When Bellatrix killed Sirius, he went after her to avenge his godfather. Foolish boy. The Dark Lord knows Potter is too protected, and knows his friends are not as much. He knows Potter will go straight for him if he takes one of his friends. As for you saying you're worried for their lives, _your_ children are safe. The Muggle-born isn't as lucky. Your children are pureblood and that will keep them safe, at least from death."

"Voldemort will only try to convince them to join him," said Remus, "Apparently, he wants to exterminate all non-pureblooded witches and wizards and as there is few purebloods left, he cannot afford to kill a single one. Is that not what you said, Severus?" There was a pause in the conversation.

"My Ron and Ginny would never! They wouldn't even think twice!"

"I'm afraid you are mistaken," Dumbledore said, in a rather sad tone, "Voldemort can be very - how canI put this - persuasive."

"He's going to torture my babies!"

"No," Snape said, sounding rather annoyed, "He has offers. I would know. He can change minds with merely speaking of greatness. He's a man of his words, he keeps promises. The two youngest Weasleys are the biggest targets for his plan on changing where their loyalty lies because they are the closest purebloods to Potter, and they are in school with him as well."

"Molly please!" McGonagall pleaded as Ron heard his mother cry out loudly, "You might wake the children!"

"I'm sorry."

"Did I mention," Snape continued, "the Potter boy has finally come to his senses and is using Occlumency while sleeping. It's about time, I thought he was hopeless. . . Going back on topic, the Dark Lord intends on killing Potter, purifying the Wizarding race, and taking over the Muggle world. He wants it in that order so our priority should be to _keep_ Potter under protection and his friends should be _put_ under protection. His friends are now equally important. If the boy goes after the Dark Lord we will be unable to protect him. He'll be thick enough to be tricked by an apprentice of the Dark Lord if he thinks he or she is still his friend. We all know how important it is to keep the Potter boy from being killed when he is the only chance of vanquishing the Dark Lord."

"I'm most concerned on Ginny," said Remus. "She seems to be the rebellious type."

"My daughter simply likes to joke! Just like the twins!"

"Yes, but," Snape started, "if she decides to wander the school at night, even if she'll still be safe, it will make her very vulnerable to a spy. She gets it from her older brother and his friends. They think the school rules apply to everyone but them. The many times they were out of bed past curfew, breaking twenty school rules in one night, and getting away with it."

"The point is," McGonagall said loudly, "we should be extra strict with the rules."

"I doubt that will stop them from what they think is fun," said Snape.

"Why don't we just tell them they're in danger and sneaking out, as they always do, could have dire consequences?" Lupin asked.

"They're too young," Dumbledore answered calmly.

"I agree," said Snape.

"As do I," McGonagalll said.

"Yes," Ron heard his mother sigh, "They're too young to be worrying about their lives."

"So, we'll just do all the worrying for them? Is that it?" Lupin questioned, "After all they've been through, I think they can look after themselves."

"You have too much confidence in these children's abilities," Snape said, "That's what they still are, children. The more dangerous the situation, the more they tend to go investigate. Besides, as soon as Potter finds out on what the Dark Lord is plotting against his friends, he'll try to be a hero and leave. He'll think he can just leave and take care of himself just so his friends will live in peace."

"Why must you say it in that tone?" McGonagall asked.

"That is what he would do," agreed Lupin, "but you are making it sound as if that's such a bad thing."

"It is a bad thing," said Dumbledore, "If Harry chooses to leave, he chooses to come out of our protection and possibly be killed by Voldemort. Voldemort does not waste opportunities. If this happens, his friends will be in even more danger as the rest of the world for Voldemort will no longer have any threats. I am sure if we tell Harry Voldemort's plans, he wouldn't understand the consequences of leaving, even if I tell him. That is why he, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione mustn't know. You all may leave or go to bed. This meeting is over."

Ron remembered how his mouth felt five times more dry than it did when he went down. He couldn't risk getting caught, so he went up to bed, swallowing hard.

Ron snapped out of his daydream. He probably had a dream about that just because he was thinking of it before he fell asleep. That's what usually happened. He grabbed his fork to indulge in his meal when there was a loud squeak followed by the laughter of Ginny, who just came into the room with Harry and Hermione. His fork turned into a rubber chicken.

"Remember those fake wands Fred and George invented?" Ginny asked Harry, who nodded, "They made fake silverware!" She began to cackle hysterically again. Harry was glad to have Ginny to take his mind off of other issues.

"Ha ha, very funny Ginny," Ron said sarcastically, "Don't you think this is getting a little old? Oh, and good to see you again, Harry."

"You, too," Harry replied awkwardly. He was wondering what could have happened that would make one of his best friend's personality change so much in such a short period of time.

"Ginny dear," Mrs. Weasley said. She looked pale and crestfallen. "Can you please stop leaving these fake silverware lying around in the kitchen. They're getting annoying." She was speaking so politely for something she would be angry with if she was in character. She held up a tin parrot and a rubber haddock and Ginny took them.

"Sorry, Mum," Ginny apologized.

"And maybe you should quit waking up Ron the way you do," suggested Hermione, "Yesterday she took his deck of Exploding Snaps and exploded them right next to his ear. Ron practically flew off the bed." Harry and Ginny sniggered, but Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione glowered.

"Fine," Ginny moaned, "I'll just let sorrow, grief, and mourn devour us all. No more jokes to laugh at, no more fun, no more happiness to enlighten your moods. No more-"

"Yes Ginny, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, "Now you three sit down. All four of you need to eat up." She left the room.

"_We_ need to eat up?" Hermione asked looking at Ron and Ginny, "Your mum's been getting thinner and thinner every time I see her."

"Yeah, I noticed," Ginny said, "She's seemed depressed lately, too. I think being in the Order is finally getting to her, and _you._" She eyed Ron suspiciously.

"Me what?"

"You seem like you've been hiding a bunch of stress and just let it loose today," she said, as though reading Ron's mind. "As much as I _know _it _breaks your heart_ to know that Hermione's with Viktor, I doubt that's the only thing that could make you. . . mature. In other words, completely out of character." Ron glared at her. He could feel Hermione's eyes burning holes his face, but he decided not to look nor to waste his breath on denial or an argument.

"You know, Ginny," he said, "maybe you're too clever for own good." Losing his appetite, Ron just got up and left them.

"Thanks for your words of wisdom!" Ginny called after him.

"Maybe you should stop pestering him," Hermione said quietly.

"What?" Ginny asked, "So now you like him back? Love of the prefects? After all, you did give up visiting Viktor to stay here with us."

"I do not 'love' Ron any more than a best friend," Hermione replied, angrily, "Has it _ever_ occurred to you that we might be here for more reason than to have a happy summer filled with togetherness?" She avoided Harry's eyes.

"Everyone around here worries too much," said Ginny. "Can't wait for school, for once. The only reason I'm going to stay in school is for Quidditch. I have a job and career waiting for me at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. I don't think I'm even going to bother studying my brain out of my head for the O.W.L.s -"

"Do you know how important those tests are for your future!" Hermione exclaimed incredulously.

"I already have a secure future: working with Fred and George at the joke shop." With this, Hermione rolled her eyes and hurried out of the room, leaving her plate untouched. Harry lost his appetite as well. Hermione said there could be another reason they were locked up in Grimmauld Place. This is what they did to Sirius, Harry thought, maybe something is going on. Harry remembered Sirius saying that there wasn't any safer place here besides maybe Hogwarts. The Order was having them stay and never step one foot out. If there was something he should be afraid of, he wouldn't even try to come up with one. For, once he would let himself have an entire summer having a good time with his friends. Perhaps he should just let Dumbledore and the Order do all the worrying for him.


	3. Broken Window and BreakUp

**Skip to the second "A/N" if you don't care about this story's (interesting) past.**

Disclaimer: All characters, settings and past events in this story that are from the Harry Potter series is not owned by me.

**A/N: **Wow... this story... "published (1st chapter) July 7, 2005 --- updated (2nd chapter) July 15, 2005" ... today's date: July 20, **2006**... it has been a year and five days and I have FINALLY returned to continue on this fic. I put up the second chapter exactly one day before the release of the 6th book. I didn't purchase the book until a month and a half later though...

ANYWAY, I honestly didn't remember any of what I had written, but when I finished reading it, it seemed to all flood back into me. I thought I would've gotten back to it but then cousins came over to visit, got the 6th book and had to finish it, FRESHMAN year at HIGH school, 2-5 pages of geometry EVERYday, marching band, wa wa, yada yada.

Well, here I am. My head is back in the game. Read if you like. Review if you please. Review if I said please:P haha

THE END (of this a/n)

M.G.A.

**A/N, 8/13/06: **whoa, took a while to write this because turned out I re-put my other story (Harry Potter &the Daughter of Voldemort's Favorite). Well, here it is:

**CHAPTER THREE**

**BROKEN WINDOW AND BREAK-UP**

One month of summer passed in a breeze of boringness. They were not allowed to leave Grimmauld Place nor were they given any hint of the going-ons of the Order. Harry felt a bit annoyed that they hadn't learned their lesson from last year, but was rather enjoying the somewhat carefree mood he has had. However, he, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were starting to get irritated already with being on the lock-down. Gobstones and Wizards' Chess had become a sort of past-time of theirs. Even the ever favorite Exploding Snaps gets dull if you played it as often as they did.

"How about we finish all of our summer homework?" Hermione suggested to a chorus of laughter. "Well then you all figure out something to do! Something _good,_ mind you. Racing to the top of the stairs and back down by sliding on the rail was quite dangerous and wasn't fun at all."

"You didn't even play!" argued Ron. "And you didn't think it was dangerous until Ginny pushed me off the rail just because _I was winning._" Harry didn't think that exactly proved anything.

"Of course you were winning! With limbs that are each about as tall as me!" Ginny retorted and Harry snorted and an idea hit him.

"What we need is something to do..." Harry stated thoughtfully.

"Now why hadn't I come up with that?" said Hermione, glaring at Harry.

"Something we had never gotten tired of," Harry continued, ignoring Hermione and turning to Ron and Ginny, "even when we have practiced it at hours on end. Sometimes day after day."

Grins spread across everybody's face but Hermione's.

"What are you all-?" but Ron, Ginny, and Harry never heard another word out of Hermione's mouth as they were running up the stairs full speed. They probably got to the top even faster than they ever had in their previous game.

Harry and Ron headed straight to their room and began rumaging through their belongings, Ginny doing the same.

Hermione had just gotten to the foot of the stairs and sat on the first step and sighed. "Honestly... AAAARGH!"

Something had zoomed right above Hermione's head from the top of the stairs. The giant blur swerved to the left to avoid colliding with the wall, and then quickly slowed to a stop. It was none other than-

"GINNY! You could have taken my head off!"

"Sorry! But, now really, I knew what I was doing. I thought you'd have figured out that I am a particularly good flyer, unlike... you'd better duck."

"Duck for wha-?"

"HERMIONEEEEE!"

What a sight that unfolded within the next couple of seconds. Ron had been on his broom heading for the bottom of the stairs, not expecting Hermione to be standing there. He pulled up to avoid her, was forced to pull up more to avoid the wall, and instinctively let go of the broom to avoid the ceiling, which, although high, not high enough for Ron to gain control.

Letting the broom go gave Ron that strange sensation in his stomach as his body went up for a split second before gravity got a grasp on him.

"AAAAAAAARGH – ooph! Oh, thanks Harry!"

Harry had flown down just in time to catch Ron and he braked hard. Two halves of Ron's now broken broom fell to the floor.

"You _must_ be kidding me," said the voice of Remus Lupin upon walking into the scene on his way to the front door. There seemed to be a state of tiredness plastered to his face as usual.

"Er" started Ron as Harry put him down, "Hullo! Fancy - er- repairing a broom? You know how we're not of age yet..."

"You must be kidding me," Lupin repeated, running a hand through his ever greying hair. He then walked closer and leaned on a wall looking at them. Ginny touched down and all was silent. Lupin closed his eyes, tilted his head down and gave a small chuckle. Ron, Harry, and Ginny exchanged looks.

"You lot," Lupin said, "are so desperate for excitement it clouded your minds into thinking it's okay to try and have a go on your broomsticks indoors?" Harry, Ron, and Ginny hung their heads in shame and disappointment. "Sorry, Ron. I can't simply repair a broken broom because they have a magic in them and '_Reparo_' doesn't quite cut it. I am not as skilled as, perhaps, Madam Hooch at repairing brooms, however, I _can_ do this. _Accio Broomsticks!_"

Four brooms came flying towards Lupin from the kitchen and clattered at his feet. No one had any clue what he was about to do with the old, self-sweeping brooms. Before any of them could ask, Lupin pointed his wand to one and shot out a white ray that made that broom glow for moment. He then held an empty hand over the broom and yelled, "Up!"

The former cleaning broom reacted just like a full fledged flying broomstick and was now in the palm of a smiling Lupin. "I can turn these into flying broomsticks. These aren't exactly made of the best material, and I am not an expert at this so they are no where near as fast as any brooms you are used to," He spoke as he bewitched the other three brooms, "However, slow brooms seems the perfect solution. I'll just conjure a ball for you all and I'm sure you can figure something out." With a wave of his wand a red ball appeared. Harry, Ron, and Ginny leapt over to examine the brooms. Hermione had joined them in doing so also, but the rest knew it was excitement over the spellwork of it. Before any of them looked up to thank Lupin, he was already out the door.

And so they played Quidditch... or a variation of it. Harry and Hermione against Ron and Ginny, with Hermione and Ron as keepers and Harry and Ginny as chasers. Instead of goal posts, the goals were a wall at the end of the hallway upstairs and the wall at the far end of the dining area downstairs. There were no doors in the paths between these two walls but quite a few obstacles.

Another month passed, but this time it went by quickly. The fun of the new game of Quidditch didn't ware out and Ron had even started becoming more like his old self. When the school's supply list arrived, it was made clear that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny weren't going to be the ones to go to Diagon Alley, which was disappointment. They were hoping to visit Fred and George's new shop.

One day, the makeshift Quaffle broke through a window and landed outside.

"Nice pass, Ginny," Harry said sarcastically. Hermione came bustling down the stairs, she didn't feel like playing and was up in her and Ginny's room.

"What was that noise?" Hermione asked and saw the broken window. Ron flew over. He was being keeper while Harry and Ginny were on a team to try and get the Quaffle past him.

"Don't worry, I got it," said Ginny and walked over to the broken window.

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed, "Don't go out there!"

"Relax, Ron," said Ginny, "it's only right there." She hopped out before anyone could stop her and after a couple of tense moments, she returned with the ball.

"Ginny," Hermione said with worry, "you shouldn't have gone out. Something could've happened to you all for just some ball." Ginny glared at Hermione.

"Hark who's talking," said Ginny. _What a hypocrite._ "Got worried when I went out there for a few seconds, Hermione? Do you know how scared I was last night!?"

Hermione glared back, "I told you. It's none of your business."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks. "Alright, what's going on?" Ron said, but was ignored.

"None of my business?" Ginny asked appalled.

"Yes!"

"Where did you go for that long? I thought something had happened to you! And after I covered up for you, you can't even tell me what you went out for!"

Hermione turned around and ran up the stairs.

"What?" Ron yelled, "You went outside in the middle of the night?!" He made for the stairs, but Ginny pulled him back.

"Stay out of this, Lover-boy. Hermione, wait up!" She chased after Hermione and found her crying in their room. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset." She sat on the bed next to her.

"It was Viktor," Hermione started, sobbing, "I got a letter from him and he wanted to find work here, so we could be closer. It was a coincidence that he was staying at a place that is just near here. I don't want him to give up so many things just for me. He deserves better. Ginny, I just had to go over and talk to him. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking straight. I borrowed the Invisibility Cloak and walked over there..."

Ginny pulled Hermione into a hug, "So, it's over?" Hermione nodded in Ginny's arms, sat up and wiped her eyes. She knew it was a risk, but she just had to get it over with and couldn't waste the opportunity.

Ginny got the feeling that there was more to it than Viktor "deserving better".

Meanwhile, Harry was trying desperately to keep Ron from doing something he'd regret.

"What — was — she — _thinking_?" Ron said through gritted teeth. He was making his way up the stairs very slowly due to a heavy weight holding him back: Harry.

"Ron, be reasonable! It's Hermione, I'm sure she had a perfectly good reason!" Harry huffed and finally released Ron, who sprinted towards the girls' room. "Don't be too hard on her!"

Ginny and Hermione could hear a stomping coming near their door, and they both stood.

"Here it comes," said Ginny quietly, and, just as expected, a red faced Ron bursted into the room.

"All right!" He started, "Let's hear it! You had better have a grand excuse!" Tears re-filled Hermione's eyes and Ron got a pang of guilt.

"Ron, you prat!" Ginny shouted, as Hermione stormed towards the door, but Ron grabbed her before she could get there. Harry appeared outside the doorframe.

"Let go of me, Ron," Hermione growled, not looking at him. Harry was surprised Ron didn't obey, Hermione was being quite intimidating.

Ginny walked past them and as she did, said, "You know, Ron, Hermione's reason for being outside last night would actually make you a very happy boy." She reached Harry's side and-

BAM

Ron slammed the door.

"Hey!" Ginny yelled indignantly.

"Ron," said Hermione, pushing Ron's arm away and putting some space in between them. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm here, I'm fine, _I'm sorry_, and I'm tired of your paranoia." She usually didn't go apologizing to Ron that easily, but hoped that would help him leave her alone. Unfortunately, he stood still blocking the door and crossed his arms.

"Listen," he sighed, "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you, Hermione, I really care, you know. I just have a funny way of showing it." Something tugged at Hermione's lips. _Was that a smile? _Ron smiled inwardly before continuing. "You don't trust me enough to – hold on." He turned around and Hermione watched him questionably.

Ron flung open the door.

"Oo, looks like we're busted," said Ginny. Her and Harry were both crouched with Extendable Ears at hand. "C'mon, Harry." She grabbed his arm and dragged him the other way, as Harry tried to look at Ron apologetically. Ron, eyed them until they were completely out of view before shutting the door.

He turned around to find Hermione with her hands on her hips. _Uh oh, what did I do this time?_

"_I _don't trust_ you_ enough to tell you? Ron, you couldn't trust me enough to tell me what happened to make you completely change your personality! I had let that go since it seemed to be wearing off, but now you're back to that same paranoid git! I know you found out something."

"Oh! Well figured out, Hermione! Forget it then, I don't care why you snuck out anymore. You can leave now." He opened the door, but Hermione didn't budge.

"I've known you for five years, and you don't trust me."

"I do trust you! _You_ trust _me_ when I say you don't want to know!"

"Ron –"

"No! You don't deserve to carry a burden. Leave. What am I saying? This is your room. I'm leaving." He walked out the door and across the hallway to the door to his and Harry's room. He couldn't believe Hermione was still worrying about what caused his slight change of personality so long ago. He was even starting to be himself again, and the subject just had to be dragged up again. _I shouldn't worry about all this all over again. School's almost here. It's safe at Hogwarts..._He laid a hand on the door knob and felt a hand touch his.

He looked to see Hermione looking right back at him.

"I broke up with Viktor," she said quietly. Ron raised his brows. He didn't care how or why she did it, but he felt a tingly sensation in his gut just to hear that she had done it. He'd even forgotten she had snuck out.

Hermione turned around and started walking away.

"Er," Ron called after her, "don't expect me to confess to you just because you did to me!"

She raised her hand in recognition without looking back. It surprised her that that wasn't the reason she had told him that. _Then why _did_ I tell him?_

Ron entered his room, flopped down in his bed and grinned to himself.


End file.
